Rain
by Cheye13
Summary: She always loved the rain. Loved to feel the soft splash of the raindrops on her face when she walked through it. He always loved her. Loved to watch her. He knew she loved the rain. She knew he loved her. full summary inside.
1. I Love the Rain

Chapter 1

I Love the Rain

**Summary:**She always loved the rain. Loved to feel the soft splash of raindrops on her skin when she walked through it. He always loved her. Loved to watch her. He knew she loved the rain. She knew he loved her.

Supposed worst enemies fighting for love in the world. Will they conquer?

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

I love the rain. I love the sound of the soft water drops hitting any surface they can find. I love the way it feels on my face, the way it feels when it runs through my hair. I love to walk through the rain. I especially love to walk through the Forbidden Forest when it's raining. All the dark creatures duck for cover, and the pleasant ones come out to dance. I guess Draco would count me as one of those pleasant, dancing creatures. To him, I am everything.

All those insults, the outbreaks in the corridors, it was all an act. He kept his secret well. And when I found out, I knew exactly why the kept it. For one, what would his father say, or more importantly do, to him? Everyone single one of his 'friends' would mock him.

I didn't learn about his secret until the beginning of our sixth year.

**Flashback**

It was raining hard but not yet a storm. I was walking along the castle walls. I tilted my head upwards to let the rain fall directly onto my face and stretched my arms out to the sides. I caught sight of a face in a window. The blond hair gave it away. It was Malfoy. And he was looking right at me.

I studied his face. His usual smirk was replaced with a sad smile. There were tear trails on his cheeks, while still others rolled down the side of his face. Yet there was still something behind the tears. It seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.

After a short while, I finally realized the hidden emotion. Love. Genuine love. I doubted many people had seen _that _on his face.

Once he realized I had seen him, he blushed and ducked to the side of the window, dodging my gaze.

**End of Flashback**

Right then, I learned something. Malfoy had emotions. He could feel. Not only had he shown love, but sadness and embarrassment too. I learned that he was a real person. That's when I started falling for Draco Malfoy, King of Slytherin. Me. A Gryffindor muggle-born. Ha! My friends would never believe this. . . .


	2. I Love Her

Chapter 2

I Love Her

**Draco's P.O.V.**

I love her. Of all the girls at Hogwarts, I had to fall for her. The girl I was forbidden to love. Hermione Granger.

It started in first year, the first time I laid eyes on her. I know, I never seemed like the 'love at first sight' kind of guy, but I really had no control over it. From the time I was born, I was taught never to believe in things like 'love at first sight'. So I didn't. I came to Hogwarts at the ripe age of eleven, the rotten child I had been brought up to be. On the way to Kings Cross, I was given a lecture by my father about becoming Harry Potter's friend. So when the first years, including me, reached the doors of the Great Hall, I searched for the boy with the scar, whom I had met in Madame Malkin's over the summer. Yet who should flanking him on either side, but his two future best friends. My gaze flickered to the dark haired girl accompanying Potter. She was beautiful. She was hugging 'Hogwarts: A History' to her chest. I let my gaze linger for another moment, then turned back to Potter.

When I found out she was a muggle-born, I was devastated. Terrified even more. Terrified of what my father would think. Terrified of what my friends (or who I thought were my friends) would think. I was terrified of everything that could go wrong. So I hid it. I covered the lovesick me with the horrible, spoiled, superior Draco I was raised to be. That's why I started calling Hermione and her friends names; mudblood, Weasel, etc. I felt horrible, but what could I do?

After suffering for two years, leaking my frustration out on my poor pillow, I found something else out about the love of my life.

**Flashback**

It was the middle of my third year. I was walking to Transfiguration, after breakfast in the Great Hall, when I noticed Hermione and the Weasley girl, Ginny, walking through the corridors talking. I eavesdropped.

"I don't know why, Gin, but I just love the rain. I always have. I love to go out dancing in it, or walking through it in the forest. Everything seems right with the world when it's raining."

"That explains why I can never find you when it's raining. And to think; all I have to do is look out the window."

That's instant, I felt relief wash over me. At that moment in time, I had no clue why. I was filled with joy.

**End of Flashback**

Four years later, I now realize why I was washed over with relief. What Ginny had said made sense. All I had to do when it was raining was look out the window. I could watch her as long as my heart desired, or at least until it stopped raining and she came inside.

But once, at the beginning of last year, I got caught.

**Flashback**

I was in my dorm, reading a book, when the sound of soft rain outside filled my ears. I quickly closed the book and hurried out of my dorm. As I reached the portrait hole, I heard Crabbe say, "Hey, Malfoy! Where you goin'?"

"Out," I reply simply, letting them know they were not to follow me.

I walked a few flights of stairs and found a window that was high above the ground so I could watch without being noticed. I did the same thing every time it rained.

Looking down upon the grounds, I spotted the pleasant, dancing, rain-loving creature I had been looking for. She was beautiful, dancing and twirling, the water falling around and on her, making her shine.

Without realizing it, it started crying. I was full of sorrow, for I knew I could never have her. I felt like laughing because of the contagious joy she spread. I was filled with regret, for all the horrible things I had done to her, and her friends, whom she loved dearly and considered family. Most most of all, I was overflowing with love toward the gorgeous brunette spinning and jumping in the rain.

She tilted her head up to let the raindrops fall onto her face. She held her arms out directly to her sides. I continued to watch and only noticed she saw me when her arms fell back down to her sides and her eyes were filled with a questioning wonder. Embarrassed, I quickly turned and fled down the stairs.

**End of Flashback**

I still watch her when it rains. I guess part of me wants her to know how I feel.

At that time, concealing my feelings was driving me crazy! So I turned to the only person I could trust. My best friend and confident. My mother.


	3. I couldn't fit the title!

Chapter 3

Empathetic Encounters and Mysterious Potions

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

In sixth year, after I spotted him watching me, I started noticing things about I hadn't before.

One time, down in the dungeons, I ran into Malfoy.

"Watch where you're going, Mudblood!"

The impact of the collision caused my books to go flying. After I had collected them, Malfoy handed me one he had caught, making eye contact with me. With his beautiful grey eyes, he seemed to be pleading, "Please forgive me. I'm sorry."

I'm not sure what my eyes were saying, but I nodded slightly and wrenched the book out of his hands for cover.

We would never do the love potion with Snape, but with Slughorn it was different. One of the first things we worked on was the love potion. When I came into the room on the day of that lesson, the scent of rain hit me hard. But there was something else there too. It was familiar, yet I couldn't quite place it. All I knew for sure was that the scent was beautiful.

To this day, barely more than a year later, the scent is still a mystery to me.

**Draco's P.O.V.**

Normally, when I bumped into Hermione, I would insult her. Normally, I was accompanied by those two buffoons, Crabbe and Goyle. But once, walking down a very narrow corridor, my path crossed Hermione and her friends'. I was alone, on one of my 'out' trips to the library.

As I passed the three Gryffindors, my shoulder grazed Hermione's. I turned back, my eyes on the ground, apologized, and continued on. I caught the bewildered look on Potter and Weasley's faces before I turned. I also heard Weasley mumble to Hermione, "That was odd."

But I knew Hermione didn't think it was odd at all, for she knew the reason.

Anyone who had ever sat through one of Snape's classes would say that he would never let us study the love potion. But it wasn't Snape teaching potions that year. It was Professor Slughorn.

One of the first lessons in his class was the love potion.

As I walked through the door on the day of that lesson, I was intrigued with the aroma of rosewood and my mother's shampoo. And yet something else mingled with the two. The most wonderful scent in the bunch was familiar, yet I couldn't figure out what it was.

That scent had stayed with me up until now, yet it's still a mystery.


	4. Confrontations

Chapter 4

Confrontations

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

It's Friday night. It started raining a few hours ago, and had been sitting by the window, watching it fall. I decide I'm going out.

Harry's still in the common room, playing Wizard's Chess with Ron. 

"Can I use your cloak, Harry?" I ask.

"Sure, 'Mione. It's in my trunk."

I climb the stairs up to the seventh year boys' dorm, Find what I recognize as Harry's trunk, and prop it open. The cloak's somewhat buried, but after a little digging, it's free.

Looking out the window, I notice it's very dark. Perfect. Climbing back down the stairs, I head for the portrait hole.

"Where you goin', 'Mione?" Ron asks.

"Just to the library to study." What a quick and witty response on my part.

Just outside the portrait hole, I throw the cloak over me. I make my way down the stairs and out into the wondrous night.

Heading for the forest, so I can take the cloak off and enjoy the rain, I see all my favorite animals out dancing.

I make my way deep into the forest. I'm having one of the best times I've ever heard in the rain. Then, a twig snaps. It snapped harder than it would if it was one of the pleasant creatures out dancing. Spinning around, I ask, "Who's there?"

There's a pause, as if whoever it is is trying to decide whether or not to speak. Just when I start to think I imagined it, I hear my name.

"Hermione-"

At the sound of my name, a shiver runs down my spine, and my breath catches in my chest.

**Draco's P.O.V.**

I hear in raining again. It's after curfew, so I grab my invisibility cloak and head for the stairs outside the porthole, ready for my regular routine. When I look out the window, I see footprints in the wet grass, heading for the Forbidden Forest.

All of a sudden, it hits me. This could be my last chance. I'm still hesitant, but my body seems to be moving of its own accord. I'm walking down the stairs, and it isn't long until I find myself outside in the pouring rain. I follow the footsteps to the forest and find the breathtaking young woman I knew would be here, taking off an invisibility cloak. I step forward to get closer to her, but I step on a twig and it snaps. I curse silently when she spins around and asks, "Who's there?"

I take a long pause, trying to decide whether or not to say anything. As she starts to turn back around, I can't help myself and I cry out to her, "Hermione-"

She snaps back and locks her eyes with mine. It's kind of creepy, considering she still can't see me. I can see her tensity.

I take off the cloak and swell with pleasure as I see her relax when she finds out it's me.

"Hermione," I find myself saying, "I have something to tell you. You probably know this, but . . .I - I love you." She's waiting for more, so I take a deep breath and continue.

"I've loved you since the first time I laid my eyes on you. You're so beautiful, smart, incredible . . . and I love you."

She pipes up with a question. As always.

"What will your father think?"

"I don't really care what he thinks. I mean, he's in prison now, what can he do?"

"Well . . . What about your mother?" Again with the questions.

"She's basically the only one I trust. She's the only person who knows I love you. She doesn't care about blood. Only some purebloods are snobby. She says that from what I've told her, you seem perfect. And you are. She would never say anything to my father. She doesn't even really like him. It was an arranged marriage. She didn't have a say at all. She was never the snobby kind of pureblood. I love her and trust her."

"But what about your friends? What would they think?"

"Dammit, Hermione! You don't get it, do you? I love you! I don't care what anyone thinks. Please, Hermione! You've got to understand this!"

"I do, Draco!" she retorts. It's the first time she's used my first name. "I'm just concerned! For your well being, _and_ for mine! Voldemort could be after us any minute!"

"He's already after us! And we'll worry about that when we have to! I've explained everything to Dumbledore! He's sworn to protect us as best he can! And you know we can fend for ourselves as well! There's really nothing to worry about!" I take a second to calm down.

"Hermione," I say in a calmer tone. "I'm going to drive myself crazy if the only thing I can do to get close to you is talk to my mother and watch you every time it rains."

"Draco, I – I have something to tell you too." I'm nervous knowing the possibilities of the following sentence.

"I really don't know how to say this, so I'll be really blunt."

I start to turn away, filled with disappointment, thinking that she doesn't feel the same.

"Draco, wait!" She grabs my arm to turn me back around. "I love you too, Draco."

I stand for a moment, not registering what she had said. As it finally dawns on me, I fell joy spread through my body, as a smile spreads across my face.

**Hermione's P.O.V.**

"I love you too, Draco." He stops, seemingly frozen with shock. Then I watch as a smile spreads across his face.

I start to laugh and cry, and I throw myself at him. He squeezes me closer, and I bury my face in his shoulder.

There it is. The mysterious scent that had me wondering for so long. It was the beautiful aroma of the who is holding me at this very moment.

**Draco's P.O.V.**

The next thing I know, she's in my arms, crying and laughing into my shoulder. I squeeze her tight, never wanting to let her go. I bury my face in her brown, curly hair, and the mystery that had been plaguing me for so long was solved. The unidentifiable aroma from the love potion was the scent of my one, true love.

The couple pulled out of the hug, to look each other into the eyes of the other, just before they came back together in a long, passionate kiss, soaking together in the rain.

**THE END**


End file.
